What a surprise! Wout van Aert will start at the World Cyclo-cross Championships in Liévin: "I’ll give it my all"

Wout van Aert's winter was over because the Visma | Lease a Bike rider would skip the cyclo-cross World Championships in Liévin. After the Maasmechelen World Cup, he would focus on the road, but on Sunday, he changed his mind: the triple world champion would take a shot at his fourth title in France.

In a press release, he confirmed this to his team: "I'm feeling good, and my winter has gone well," Van Aert said. The World Championships only recently came into my mind, and after Maasmechelen, the Belgian team coach, my coach at Team Visma | Lease a Bike, and I decided to compete, " he said. From the beginning of the winter, Van Aert had already decided to skip the cyclocross World Championships: it didn't fit his schedule.

A few months later, the recovery has gone better than expected, and the all-rounder is very satisfied with the level he has shown in his cyclo-cross winter. Therefore, he will travel to France after all. "I am excited to start in such a beautiful race, and I think this extra boost is doing me good in the lead-up to bigger goals on the road. The preparation has been very different, but I'll do my best." The Belgian team will see Van Aert's arrival as a godsend because Thibau Nys, Laurens Sweeck, and Niels Vandeputte are ill.

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De Clercq: "Everyone in Belgium is happy"

You can call it a significant relief for national coach Mario De Clercq. "That's why the ninth name wasn't released when I announced the selection a while ago," he told the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. "It was a risk I took. There was the chance that Wout would stick to his decision not to start at the World Championships, but ultimately, he changed his mind."

"This is, of course, fantastic news for us as a federation. I am very happy with his decision. I can now go down to the World Championship with the nine strongest men." The Belgian team needs Van Aert, as there usually is little to do against Mathieu van der Poel. With his great rival present, the Belgians already have a little more chance. "The more chances we have to get to Mathieu van der Poel, the better. Because, let's face it, Mathieu is still the top favorite for the title. I think everyone in Belgium is happy that Wout van Aert will start in the World Championship next Sunday."

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Van Aert, yes, but no Vos at the World Championships?

"Wout is a pure cyclo-cross enthusiast," says Mathieu Heijboer, Head of Performance at Visma | Lease a Bike. "Wout is a true cyclo-cross enthusiast. He indicated that he wanted to race. We discussed it, weighed everything together, and we fully support Wout." So Van Aert will start, but the Dutch formations are concerned about Marianne Vos's situation. The 37-year-old top rider dropped out before the end of lap one in Hoogerheide after injuring her calf in Maasmechelen. Whether she will start in Liévin is still uncertain.  

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